Carbon break for electric switches.



No. 68|,II2. Patented-Aug. 20, 190i. H. DOLIER, In.

CARBON BREAK FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

(A limion 11ml m 13. 1901 (No Modal.)

w: NORRIS PETIRS cov mew-0M0. wnsmnm'cm n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI DOLIER, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARBON BREAK FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,112, dated August 20, 1901.

Application filed May 13, 1901- Serial No. 60,031. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY DOLIER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Carbon Breaks for Electric Switches,of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carbon breaks for electric switches, designed to prevent the formation of an are between the switch-blade and the contact-clips.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a portion of an electric switch, showinga switch-blade in position, with the device forming the subject of my invention in engagement therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved carbon break and its supporting structure, and Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a modified detail of my invention.

As is well known in the use of electricity, currents of high voltage have a tendency to cause an are between the switch-blade and the contact-clips carried by the base when the said switch-blade is released from the clips. To prevent this are, carbon contacts have been so arranged with relation to the switch-blade that they will be in contact with said switch-blade until after the latteris clear of the contact-clips. These carbons are in electrical connection with the said contactclips, so that as the bladeleaves the clips the current will pass through the carbon contacts to the blade.

It is not new to provide carbon breaks for switches of this character; but the form of break which I have devised possesses advantages over all the forms heretofore used.

In the drawings herewith, 1 represents the switch-blade, pivoted at 2, and 3 3 represent the contact-clips for said switch-blade. These parts are preferably mounted upon a base 4, to which they are secured in any suitable well-known manner.

The carbon contact 5, whichin the present instance is in the form of a roller, is pivotally mounted between the ends of the arms 6, which arms are arranged between the contact-clips 3, being carried by a pivot-pin 7. This structure is so disposed with relation to the switch-blade that the carbon roller is in contact with the same during the position of rest and during the upward movement of said blade to the point indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. For the purpose of moving the arms carrying the carbon roller 5 I provide the spring 8, which is coiled around the pivot-pin 7, short extensions 9 of said spring resting on the lower portion of the contactclips, while the portion opposite these extensions is passed around a pin 10 and then under the arms 6. The pin 10 passes through the arms 6 and besides serving to hold thespring to the arms forms a stop to limit the upward movement of said arms. As the carbon roller is located in advance of its pivotal connection to the contact-jaws and its angle, when not in use being no greater than that illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, it oifers no obstruction to the downward movement of the switch-blade when the latter is brought into engagement with the said contact-clips.

Fig. 2 illustrates more clearly the manner of connecting the arms carrying the contactcarbon, the connection of the spring with said arms, and the pin 10, which serves as a stop for the upward movement of the same.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification of the structure in which the arms 6", carrying the carbon contact, are bent at an angle to the same, so that the switch blade will be separated a greater distancefrom the clips when said blade leaves the carbon roller than in the construction shown in Fig. 1. By such arrangement there will be no danger, even with a veryhigh voltage, of the current leaping from the blade to said clips. In all other respects the structure is the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips carried by a suitable base; of a support pivoted to said structure, a carbon member carried by said support, and means for holding said carbon member in contact with the switch-blade when the latter is in engagement with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same.

2. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips carried by a suitable base; of a support pivoted between said clips, a carbon member carried by said support, and means for holding said carbon member in engagement with the switch-blade when the latter is in contact with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same.

3. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips carried by a suitable base; of supporting-arms pivoted to said structure, a carbon roller carried by the outer end of said supporting-arms and revoluble therein, and a spring interposed between said supporting-arms and the base and serving to maintain the carbon roller in contact with the switch-blade when the latter is in engagement with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same.

4. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips carried by a suitable base; of supporting-arms pivoted between said clips, a carbon roller carried by the outer end of said supporting-arms and revoluble therein, and a spring coiled around the pivot of said arms and serving to maintain the carbon roller in contact with the switch-blade when the latter isin engagement with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same.

5. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips; of a support pivoted between the clips and extending in a direction forward of the same, a carbon contact carried by said support, and means for maintaining said contact in engagement with the switch-blade when the latter isin contact with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same.

6. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips; of a support pivoted between the clips, a carbon member carried bysaid support, means for maintaining said member in contact with the switchblade when the latter is in engagement with the clips and during a portion of the movement of the same, and means for limiting the movement of the carbon-member support.

7. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips; of a pair of arms pivoted to said clips and arranged, between the same, a carbon roller carried by said arms, a spring carried by the pivot-pin of the arms and serving to maintain the carbon in contact with the switch-blade when the latter is in'engagement with the clips and during a portion of its movement, and a pin carried by said arms around which the spring is passed, said pin also serving to limit the upward movement of the carbon-supporting arms.

8. The combination with an electric switch of the character described, having the usual switch-blade and contact-clips; of a carbon member in engagement with said blade, and- 

